The summer session of Camp Bigs (the official name of Camp Granny) 2007 is off to a great start. Just a few of our camp activities are as follows: Hide and seek with lots of squealing when we find each other, chase around the kitchen and the den, swimming in the baby pool (or the dog water depending on whether or not the Camp Director remembers to pick it up quickly enough), singing songs (my latest was a rousing rendition of “That Jackson Has Some Dirty Pants” to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round”). Camp Counselor Melissa put in a full day with us yesterday and we expect her sometime soon today. Camp Cook Keith is sure to do a great job as soon as he returns from his fishing trip tonight. He dropped by the Kroger and got a kitchen full of groceries on the way home from his golf tournament last night.

We only heard from Camper’s mother five times from the airport. They’ve done much better since they reached the resort. Apparently a lot of parents had their little campers with them at the airport inadvertently causing some temporary emotional flair ups.

Some have asked about how much it costs to go to Camp Bigs. This is how Camp Bigs is paid:
1. In as many slobbery kisses as the executive director can talk out of her camper.
2. In cackling laughter because the camper thinks his grandparents are so funny.
3. In happy mornings because the executive director thinks nothing on earth is cuter than a toddler in his jammies.
4. In oodles of cuddles when the camper accidentally falls asleep in the executive director’s arms with his blanket.

Yep. The first annual session of Camp Bigs is off to a tremendous start. The executive director is going to try to keep you posted if her camper will let her. They are busy bees but they will hopefully occasionally come in for a landing.

PS. I have never moderated comments before but I’m going to try as often as I can this week. Camper’s mom left me written instructions and Camp Counselor Melissa is going to help me on break time. I was very amused by the addendum to Amanda’s instructions: “Mom, don’t post critical or ugly comments. That’s not what we’re doing on this blog.” Critical or ugly comments from my very own Siestas???? Surely NOT! Those could only come from Siesta posers! Real Siestas encourage one another and laugh and cry together – even when they don’t see eye to eye – because they know all the while that the other is very imperfect and weak in her natural self but that she gets beaten up a plenty by this world. This blogspot is a great spot for taking a Siesta from the ways of this mean world and finding a little happy shelter in the storm. Thank you for being that for me so many times. You have made me laugh and think and smile and tear up over and over again. I’m absolutely crazy about you. Well, Camper got up a tad early this morning and may need a little time in his bunk. Oh, man. I am so in love with the little dude I can hardly stand it.

Hi ladies! I’m back from camp. We had the best time! I wanted to tell you that when I checked the blog comments yesterday there were over 400 of them. It will take me a while to read them all, so if you don’t see yours right away don’t be concerned. Thanks for your patience. I’m disabling comments for this post so that I can catch up. Have a great Monday!

I do not have time to be writing on this blog this morning. I have five – count them FIVE – lessons to finish for my taping for Life Today this weekend. But I am also out of Midol and I’m hoping that blurting a few things out there in Siesta land will make me feel better. Keith and I had a perfectly wonderful morning until 11 seconds before I was pulling out of the driveway when he teased me about something and hurt my feelings. No, made me MAD. As mad as a hornet. A hornet with PMS. I knew I had to stop by the Walgreens on my way to work to get women’s personal supplies so, after waiting on the world’s longest stop light, I wheeled into the parking lot with considerable expression. (I’m not one given to road rage but I am on occasion given to husband rage.) I made a bee-line to the feminine supply aisle, looked through 47 different kinds (for crying out loud, I want choices at Starbucks. Not on the feminine aisle! What ever happened to two simple categories??? Next thing you know they’ll have supplies for women with highlights and without, with stay at home jobs or corporate careers. Oh, I am in such a bad mood).

THEN, TO TOP IT OFF, after I finally make my choice and am standing there balancing two jumbo size economy boxes, a man (did you hear me say A MAN?????) came right up to me and said, “I just wanted you to know that I just finished ‘Get Out of That Pit’ last night and it meant so much to me.” I nearly sent him back to the pit. OK, not really. He was so sweet. Now you’ve made me feel guilty. I nearly sent myself to the pit. There I was trying to act normal, with two (did I emphasize HUGE?) boxes of feminine supplies under my arm like a man would hold two footballs. It was the longest short conversation of my life.

I don’t know if I was just humiliated or having my first hot flash but then I started to sweat. I am in the worst mood. On my way to work I made my usual stop at Starbucks and after I made the order, I felt the first real stir of the Holy Spirit that I’d felt in a half hour and, under divine influence alone, blurted out, “You better make that a decaf today.”

To top it off, Keith hasn’t tried to call me yet. I’ve been dying for him to call so that I can let it ring and not answer it.

And here’s why I’m telling you all this. Because I am in the middle of researching the Book of Esther for the next study God is leading me to write and a good while back I chose the subtitle: “It’s Tough Being a Woman.” I just want to tell you in advance that, because I’m going to have to be proper in my approach, when I get to the end of that Bible Study, there won’t be a soul on the earth but a full grown woman who will know the HALF OF HOW TOUGH IT IS TO BE A WOMAN.

Sniff.

I love you, my fellow Siestas. And if you’re not a siesta, you might want to wait until tomorrow to talk to me. I’m in no mood today.

View it here on GodTube.

Beth and Travis are serving at the Living Proof Live event in Boone, North Carolina, this weekend. What makes this event so special is that Boone is Travis’ hometown! In honor of this big weekend, many friends and family members, the LifeWay team, the Living Proof Live team, and Beth put together this Tribute to Travis Cottrell. I’m so excited and so thankful to be able to share it with you all. Travis is such a huge part of Living Proof Ministries. I can’t tell you how much all of us LPM girls love him, Angela, Jack, Lily Kate, and Levi. I hope you will enjoy this video as much as I did. And if you’re like me you might need to have a tissue handy.

Many thanks to Rich and Stephen for helping us get this on the blog!

Today is a big day for our Beth. After many weeks of studying and researching for Esther, today she will take on the vital task of writing the outline for the Bible study and video lessons. Everything in the study stems from this outline. Please pray for Beth today and ask God to give her His thoughts, creativity, organization, and vision for this project. She will also work on it tomorrow and Monday, but today is the most important day. Thanks, siestas!

A few minutes ago, I jotted AJ (Amanda) an email to let her know that I had posted the commissioning for our “Sistas” and my spell-check objected and insisted that I call you my “siestas.” It made me laugh.

And made me hungry for an enchilada. Then ready for a nap.

My Darling Albuquerque Sisters, please forgive me for not getting your commissioning up until now! My delay could not possibly be a poorer reflection of my high esteem and deep affection for you. I totally loved my time with you. You were a terrific group and hand picked by God for that exact weekend. So gracious and compassionate. As you remember, I had just buried my Dad a few days before I came and, although God granted me complete focus and engagement while I was there, I returned to mountains of details to still take care of regarding his death…and my own grief to deal with. And in the process, I lost my notes of the commissioning! Dad blast it! Thank goodness, my buddies on the LifeWay event team had copied it and posted it and I was able to get it from them. I love you dearly and I am so thankful for you. For all of you who were not with us, our text that weekend was Philippians 2 if you care to read it first then reflect upon the charges below.

I am deeply grateful to be each of your servant. My inmost desire is to serve you Jesus and for the bottom line of all our interaction to be a more passionate love and knowledge of Him. Make no mistake. He is Life.

Dearly loved one
You’ve been called by God
To shine like a star
In a dark, depraved world
Don’t blend in
Refuse the daily temptation
To be absorbed in yourself
Take interest in others
Deliberately humble yourself
And live the life of a servant
As you live in the crisis
Of “continue to”
Keep working out
What God is working in
Watch your mouth
Choose words of life
And one glorious day
You will see the face of Christ
And He will show you
Every good purpose
He fulfilled through you
And there will be delight
Even if you are despised or ignored
You are Christ’s star
Go forth and shine

My first time to play with the water hose.

Waiting at the airport a few days ago for our mystery guest.

Jackson’s expression when he realized who the mystery guest was.

I can’t be bothered to take a posed picture.

See ya! I have a squirrel to chase.